Need to make a decision PN-40 o PN-20?

[nvfireman]

Is it worth the exra 100 bucks or so to upgrade to the 40? I bought the Magellan XL when it was new and paid 300 for it plus the topo and directroute softeware only to find that it didn't include any trails on the topo maps in Nevada. I just sold it on Ebay for about a third of what I had invested in it as the prices have dropped for the older technology. I hear awesome stuff about the new PN-40 but is it worth the money when now you can get the map library for the PN-20 as well. Doesn't the 20 do the same thing but just a little slower? I want to start hunting caches and use it on my 4 wheeler. Like one of the other guys on the forum said, "I can get lost in my driveway!" does sort of apply to me, too.

 

I also can't find any info if either of these units have an optional rechargeable batteries or a 12 volt power cable/ charger I can use on my 4 wheeler to save batteries.

 

One last question, how big of a memory card do you need to hold all the different maps for layering etc for say the state of Nevada? If I buy either of these I don 't want to spend my life in front of the computer uploading maps for every area I want to go to. I will just do the whole state and be done with it.

 

The one thing that has sold me on these is the sat maps. I work at a huge mine in Nevada that has been there for 25 years and it doesn't show up onm any maps including the Delorme Gazetteers or any of the Topos I've seen. It sems everything is based on ancient US Geological maps. Any insight would be very helpful!

[+KJcachers]

if you want smooth scrolling of the map while driving go PN-40. the PN-20 doesn't scroll it just refreshes (mostly at the most inopportune time..LOL) The PN-40 also has an active compass and altimeter. They make a auto kit for either with the rechargable battery and car lighter adapter cable. I am currently using a 8 gig card in mine and stil have plenty of room for aerial imagrey in it. I think they will hold up to a 32 gig.

[+embra]

I think the extra money is worth it for the PN-40, but it depends on your temperament (i.e., patience) and what a hundred bucks is worth to you. You may need to wait a second or two--or sometimes 4 or 5--for screen redraws...and this is especially the case for using the raster maps. If you think you'll be using the satellite imagery or the USGS maps a lot, I'd recommend going for the 40 that much more.

 

There is a travel kit accessory that includes a rechargeable Li-Ion battery (recharges in the GPS), 12v adapter, and other useful things.

 

I'm not sure how much memory you need for the state of Nevada. It depends on how many kind of image layers you want to include, and how many zoom levels you cut the imagery for. The raster files can get very large. I'll cut some one-square mile samples to get sizes that we can multiply out.

[nvfireman]

Thanks! I was looking at the PN-40 at Amazon with the Map library and the 16 Gig card but noticed that the Map Library was out of stock. I am impatient! If I order one of these I want it NOW! LOL! I just sold my Magellan XL so if I go 4 wheeling without one I may not get back til Christmas. I will miss the bigger screen that the XL had but will gladly trade off the ability to see the trails for it. I am also looking forward to having the nautical charts available as I vacation on the Oregon coast for 6 weeks every summer and take my 12 foot Portaboat 3 miles or so out in the ocean fishing. (I don't recommend this for the faint of heart or easily sea sick individuals). Do the charts tell where the fish are or if they are hungry? That would be a big help for me. I still am balancing on the fence between the two though. Will the PN-20 take the 16 gig card as well?

[+embra]

Walmart.com is selling the PN-40 for $275 through today, and someone said PayPal was giving $20 towards a $50 or more purchase at Walmart (I couldn't see anything quickly on the Paypal site, so I dunno...)

 

The 20 will take the high capacity cards as well. The 32GB limit is only due to what's available; they ought to handle 64GB when those come out (and their prices come down enough to make them affordable).

 

Edit: I think the PN-40 is out of stock at Amazon, but the Map Library is just arranged through Delorme...they may sell a subscription code, but that can be purchased straight from Delorme if need be.

Edited December 8, 2008 by embra

[nvfireman]

I will probably layer everything I can as I usually need all the help I can get. Put me in a burning building with a firehose where you can't see 2 feet I'm fine. Put me in the dessert or mountains I'll be lost in five minutes! I do have a backup unit I call "The Wife". If I am ever unsure she always tells me where to go! LOL! Actually her sense of direction far exceeds my own. From any given point she can tell you which direction and approximate distance to the nearest mall. Just kidding! She has got me out of a few places where I would otherwise still be camping waiting for rescue. The problem is she always wants to drive and this scares the crap out of me. We ride double and she has no sense of discretion when I am on the back.

After carefully avoiding mud puddles, bumps, potholes, obstacles, etc. with her on the back, she drives like an insane person. She actually had her legs up over the fenders, flying through deep puddles, giggling like a three year old while I'm in on the back getting covered with mud and debris. For some reason she found some great pleasure in this. Thank God these uits are waterproof!

 

As long as the PN-20 didn't take toooo long to refresh it would probably be ok. I only need it to get me out of the woods and back to the truck in one piece. I don't know how important the scrolling would be for the geocaching though??

[+embra]

Walmart.com had the 20 for $150 through today, in addition to the special on the 40.

[nvfireman]

You sold me! I just went to the Walmart online and purchased the PN-40 with overnight shipping. Can't wait to play with it! Thanks for spotting the great deal! I was going to buy the 20 for the $150 but I figured that if I am going to buy something that is going to be outdated tomorrow I might as well get the newest version today. I am sure that when I get into downloading the maps and imagery I will need more help in figuring it out. Thanks again for all the help!

[+embra]

One last question, how big of a memory card do you need to hold all the different maps for layering etc for say the state of Nevada? If I buy either of these I don 't want to spend my life in front of the computer uploading maps for every area I want to go to. I will just do the whole state and be done with it.

I cut a one square mile map package for something that I had multiple imagery for. The results were in KB (it's a small area), so I multiplied by 1024 for MB and another 1024 for GB (hope that's the right way to do it).

 

Before the MB & GB conversions, I multiplied the size of my 1 sq mi files by the 110,567 given as the total area of Nevada on a web site.

 

Easiest and neatest to paste a screenshot of the Excel spreadsheet:

 

 

The higher resolution satellite raster maps take up a lot of room, so you'll want to be selective in using that imagery and probably have to swap the files in & out of SD memory as you want them. The rest look like they would all fit on a 16 or 32 GB card, depending (the USGS quads need some space, too).

[+embra]

You sold me! I just went to the Walmart online and purchased the PN-40 with overnight shipping. Can't wait to play with it! Thanks for spotting the great deal! I was going to buy the 20 for the $150 but I figured that if I am going to buy something that is going to be outdated tomorrow I might as well get the newest version today. I am sure that when I get into downloading the maps and imagery I will need more help in figuring it out. Thanks again for all the help!

You're welcome! Remember to ask questions at the Delorme forum--or here, if you want, but there's a lot more help there--if you can't figure something out easily enough. It's a pretty easy matter to get the Topo7 maps up and going, but taking full advantage of the other imagery is a bit of an art form.

 

I think you'll be glad you went for the 40. I expect to have mine for a long time to come.

[nvfireman]

Thanks for the info on the map sizes. You are obviously more skillful with the computer than I. I'll be happy if I can get the North central area of Nevada uploaded as that is my primary area where I try to get lost the most. Thanks again! You rock!

[+Team CowboyPapa]

The one thing that has sold me on these is the sat maps. I work at a huge mine in Nevada that has been there for 25 years and it doesn't show up onm any maps including the Delorme Gazetteers or any of the Topos I've seen. It sems everything is based on ancient US Geological maps. Any insight would be very helpful!

 

Curiosity has me, huge mine? Rough location, coordinates?

 

Also for Nevada back country, if you explore alone, an addition to the PN-20, -40 and not an instead of:

http://www.amazon.com/Spot-Satellite-Messe...8909&sr=8-1

Edited December 8, 2008 by Team CowboyPapa

[nvfireman]

Not sure of the coords but if you have a map of Nevada just East of Golconda about 30 miles you will find the Getchell Mine shown. It does not show the Pinson mine (usually) or the Twin Creeks Mine. The latter being a very large open pit mine a 1/2 mile across and a mile or two in length?? I'm not sure of the exact dimentions but do know that in a 240 ton haul truck it takes a while to go from one end to the other and the trucks have a top speed of 33 miles an hour. I started working there in 1991 and it was there 5 years before that. One of the best things about working there is the 6 weeks paid vacation I spend fishing and crabbing on the Oregon coast every summer. (We do have crabbing locally as the town I live in here in Nevada still has houses of ill repute but the little buggers are hard to catch or so I hear!)

[+wickedann]

I bought the PN-40 last night on Amazon and it's $14.50 cheaper today!!! That's not fair....

 

 

I mean it's only $15 bucks...but that would have covered most of the sales tax at least....BTW, they are in stock at Amazon tonight.

Edited December 8, 2008 by wickedann

[nvfireman]

Don't forget to go to the Delorme site and download the $50.00 Rebate! That brings the price tag down to $225.00!!!! Uh, plus tax, map library subscription fee, travel kit, and case. But hey! Its better than the $399 its still advertised for!

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Not sure of the coords but if you have a map of Nevada just East of Golconda about 30 miles you will find the Getchell Mine shown. It does not show the Pinson mine (usually) or the Twin Creeks Mine. The latter being a very large open pit mine a 1/2 mile across and a mile or two in length?? I'm not sure of the exact dimentions but do know that in a 240 ton haul truck it takes a while to go from one end to the other and the trucks have a top speed of 33 miles an hour. I started working there in 1991 and it was there 5 years before that. One of the best things about working there is the 6 weeks paid vacation I spend fishing and crabbing on the Oregon coast every summer. (We do have crabbing locally as the town I live in here in Nevada still has houses of ill repute but the little buggers are hard to catch or so I hear!)

You are going to love the annual $30 subscription for downloading all the imagery that you want.

So I got some aerial photo east of Golconda:

http://mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=0bhm0gbc

 

Then I zoomed it in:

http://mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=tjjbrxfn

 

I thought that the dark manmade in the middle might be it but it is identified (didn't show up in the MapShare) as Izzenhood Ranch and Dam.

 

....still has houses of ill repute....

No more zooming of the aerial photography!

Edited December 9, 2008 by Team CowboyPapa

[nvfireman]

I checked your aeial shot and you ar too far south. If you follow highway? 789 out of Golconda to the north it turns into a dirt road after 15 miles and continues another 15 miles to the Getchell Goldstrike Mine. Twin Creeks Mine is directly east in the valley. Rabbit creek runs right thru it. My pn-40 should be here by Wednesday and I will buy the subscription for the maps then. It will be interesting to see how this works out. I will take it to work with me and get exact coords to see what the aerials look like.

I did a little diging and found out that the Getchell mine was started in 1883. It is still in operation only now is underground. I fought a fire there a few weeks ago.

[nvfireman]

I checked your aeial shot and you ar too far south. If you follow highway? 789 out of Golconda to the north it turns into a dirt road after 15 miles and continues another 15 miles to the Getchell Goldstrike Mine. Twin Creeks Mine is directly east in the valley. Rabbit creek runs right thru it. My pn-40 should be here by Wednesday and I will buy the subscription for the maps then. It will be interesting to see how this works out. I will take it to work with me and get exact coords to see what the aerials look like.

I did a little diging and found out that the Getchell mine was started in 1883. It is still in operation only now is underground. I fought a fire there a few weeks ago.

[+coreynjoey]

Don't forget to go to the Delorme site and download the $50.00 Rebate! That brings the price tag down to $225.00!!!! Uh, plus tax, map library subscription fee, travel kit, and case. But hey! Its better than the $399 its still advertised for!

 

 

I thought the rebate only applied to in-store sales. Bueller? Bueller?

[+embra]

Here is Delorme's list of elgible retailers for the rebate.

[+benjamin921]

Good choice. Don't be afraid to ask any questions. Max has his computer tied to his body right now :D so an answer is never too far off.

[+embra]

I got the bionic implant for Christmas. Gotta change my forum title to Cyborg Salad.

[+randyrucker]

I bought the PN-40 last night on Amazon and it's $14.50 cheaper today!!! That's not fair....

 

 

I mean it's only $15 bucks...but that would have covered most of the sales tax at least....BTW, they are in stock at Amazon tonight.

 

 

I was in the same boat. I called Amazon and they refunded $14 bucks back to my credit card. I'm not sure why they didn't do the refund for $14.50, but I'll take what I got. The help person was Indian I think and was a little hard to understand, maybe that was some of the problem. So my PN-40 cost me $275.99. BTW, thanks for the post. You saved me $14 bucks. I didn't know Amazon had lowered their price.

Edited December 9, 2008 by randyrucker

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Good choice. Don't be afraid to ask any questions. Max has his computer tied to his body right now :D so an answer is never too far off.

Yeah, and I told him to get an AFDB to keep him from getting distracted.